884  
FXUS61 KLWX 170054  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
854 PM EDT WED SEP 16 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
THE LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS HAVE NOW  
DISSIPATED, THOUGH ADDITIONAL LIGHT SHOWERS POSSIBLE LATE  
TONIGHT.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- 1) TURNING WARMER AND MORE HUMID WITH A RETURN OF SHOWER AND  
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  
 
- 2) RAIN-FREE AND LESS MUGGY CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY ON SATURDAY,  
BEFORE THE WEATHER TURNS MORE UNSETTLED AGAIN FROM SUNDAY INTO  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...TURNING WARMER AND MORE HUMID WITH A RETURN OF  
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  
 
THE LATE AFTERNOON TO EVENING SHOWERS AND A FEW RUMBLES OF  
THUNDER IN THE ALLEGHENIES AND POTOMAC HIGHLANDS HAVE NOW  
DISSIPATED. EXPECTING MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE FIRST HALF  
OF THE NIGHT, THEN SCATTERED SHOWERS APPROACH THE MOUNTAINS  
LATE. CLOUD COVER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT FROM  
THE NORTH AND WEST.  
 
FOR THURSDAY, THE PROSPECTS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL  
INCREASE BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON, ESPECIALLY FOR THE  
ALLEGHENIES, THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, AND THE I-95 CORRIDOR. THIS IS  
TIED TO A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT, MAKING A GRADUAL APPROACH FROM  
THE OHIO VALLEY AND PENNSYLVANIA. AS YOU HEAD FARTHER SOUTHEAST  
THROUGH VIRGINIA AND INTO THE COASTAL PLAIN, THE CHANCES FOR  
RAIN SHOULD DECREASE. THURSDAY LOOKS LIKE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE  
WEEK, ALTHOUGH THIS IS CONTINGENT ON HOW MUCH SUNSHINE/HEATING  
CAN TAKE PLACE EARLIER IN THE DAY. AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE'RE  
EXPECTING HIGHS WELL INTO THE 80S AGAIN, WITH PARTS OF THE  
SHENANDOAH VALLEY UP TOWARDS THE I-95 CORRIDOR PERHAPS MAKING A RUN  
AT 90.  
 
BY FRIDAY, THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ITSELF SHOULD BE ACROSS CENTRAL  
TO SOUTHERN VA. THIS WILL LEAD TO A CONTINUED CHANCE OF SHOWERS,  
ALONG WITH SOMEWHAT COOLER READINGS AS COMPARED TO THURSDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...RAIN-FREE AND LESS MUGGY CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY  
ON SATURDAY, BEFORE THE WEATHER TURNS MORE UNSETTLED AGAIN FROM  
SUNDAY INTO NEXT WEEK.  
 
CURRENT INDICATIONS POINT TO A RAIN-FREE START TO THE WEEKEND,  
WITH THE ABOVE MENTIONED COLD FRONT PUSHING DOWN INTO THE  
CAROLINAS, AND WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING DOWN FROM THE NORTH.  
 
HOWEVER, SIGNALS ALSO POINT TO MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER FROM  
SUNDAY INTO NEXT WEEK, AS A PERSISTENT UPPER RIDGE AXIS GETS  
SHUNTED TOWARDS THE DEEP SOUTH, ALLOWING UPPER-LEVEL IMPULSES  
TO MOVE ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC FROM THE WEST. THIS SHOULD  
PROVIDE THE IMPETUS FOR AT LEAST HIT AND MISS SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS ON A DAILY BASIS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDS ARE EXPECTED AREAWIDE THROUGH THURSDAY  
MORNING. PERIODS OF PASSING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE  
POSSIBLE AT TIMES THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND AGAIN THURSDAY EVENING,  
WITH PROB30 GROUPS ADDED TO MOST TAF SITES. COULD SEE CIGS  
APPROACH MVFR THRESHOLDS, BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW AT THIS TIME.  
 
A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION EARLY FRIDAY WHICH YIELDS  
A SHIFT TO NORTHERLY WINDS. AFTERNOON GUSTS COULD APPROACH 15  
TO 20 KNOTS, WITH ANY STORM CHANCES BACK TOWARD CENTRAL  
VIRGINIA.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE PASSING TO OUR NORTH SHIFTS WINDS OUT OF THE EAST TO  
SOUTHEAST SATURDAY, TURNING SOUTHWESTERLY BY SUNDAY. OVER THE  
WEEKEND, GUSTS UP TO 15 TO PERHAPS 20 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE. IN  
GENERAL, EXPECT PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDITIONS TO PERSIST, BUT  
FLIGHT CONDITIONS COULD DETERIORATE AS SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM  
POTENTIAL INCREASE LATE IN THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS NEARBY INTO TONIGHT, FAVORING  
SUB-SCA CONDITIONS OVER THE WATERS.  
 
BY THURSDAY, THIS RIDGE EDGES OFFSHORE AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD  
FRONT. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM, SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASE WHICH  
COULD NEAR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS ON THURSDAY  
AFTERNOON/EVENING. THIS IS PARTICULARLY THE CASE OVER WIDER  
WATERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY DUE TO SOUTHERLY CHANNELING. THE  
COLD FRONT CROSSES THE WATERS EARLY FRIDAY WHICH SHIFTS WINDS  
OVER TO NORTHERLY. BREEZY CONDITIONS IN THE WAKE COULD AGAIN  
NEAR ADVISORY LEVELS. AS HIGH PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS SOUTHERN  
QUEBEC, MARINE WINDS TURN NORTHEASTERLY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT WITH  
GUSTS AROUND 10 TO 15 KNOTS.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE PASSING TO OUR NORTH SHIFTS WINDS OUT OF THE EAST TO  
SOUTHEAST SATURDAY, TURNING SOUTHWESTERLY ON SUNDAY. OVER THE  
WEEKEND, GUSTS UP TO 15 TO PERHAPS 20 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE.  
 
 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING  
 
AS WINDS HAVE TURNED MORE SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY, THE ONSHORE  
FLOW HAS RAISED TIDAL ANOMALIES TO JUST BELOW 1 FOOT. THIS HAS  
BEEN ENOUGH TO PUSH A FEW OF THE MORE SENSITIVE LOCATIONS INTO  
THE ACTION STAGE. UNTIL THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH EARLY  
FRIDAY, WATER LEVELS WILL REMAIN SOMEWHAT ELEVATED. ALTHOUGH NO  
TIDAL SITE IS SHOWN TO EXPERIENCE ANY COASTAL FLOODING, IT WILL  
NEED TO BE MONITORED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY THE CASE AT  
ANNAPOLIS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE HIGHER OF THE TWO ASTRONOMICAL  
HIGH TIDES.  
 
 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
DC...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...BRO/KVH/KRR  
AVIATION...BRO/KVH/KRR  
MARINE...BRO/KVH/KRR  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab VA Page
The Nexlab MD Page
The Nexlab WV Page
Main Text Page